Inter Miami needs to prepare for life without Lionel Messi

A return to boyhood club Newell’s Old Boys has long been mooted for Messi; he still has a lot of love for the side he played for before making the long journey across the Atlantic Ocean as a 13-year-old, but the finances involved to make it happen would be a major, and potentially insurmountable, obstacle.

The exit rumors don’t end there. ESPN Argentina has reported that Messi is looking for a loan move to a more competitive league ahead of the 2026 World Cup, which he is desperate to compete in.

All of this puts Inter Miami in a very precarious position, looking into the unknown as it faces the very real reality that the man it has built its entire club around won’t be there forever.

Thankfully for the club, it has a strong enough supporting cast without Messi. The likes of Luis Suarez, Diego Gomez, Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets and Matias Rojas are all capable of contributing significantly and keeping them competitive.

In the NBA, they have something called the "Ewing Theory." It’s the theory that a side becomes better and more cohesive once its star player leaves. Messi’s former club, PSG, is arguably the best example of that in soccer, going on to win the Champions League the season after Kylian Mbappe left.

The stats are a little worrying, however. In the 2024 MLS season, Inter Miami heavily relied upon Messi, as any side would, winning 77.8 percent of its games with him on its side compared to 12.5 percent without him. Interestingly enough, Messi only featured in 55 percent of its games during that campaign.

Off the pitch could prove equally as disastrous. Inter Miami’s entire marketing strategy is based on the fact that it has the best player the sport has ever seen at its disposal. The very suggestion that Messi might play has fans from across the globe come, buy one of its pink shirts and spend even more money on concessions in the stadium.

From that standpoint, he is irreplaceable. No other player, except perhaps Cristiano Ronaldo, would have a similar level of marketability. The best thing to do would be to draw fans in through success on the pitch.

The MLS as a whole is starting to shift from reliance on aging superstars to young talents from across the Americas. It’s a market the club is familiar with, most notably signing young midfielder Federico Redondo from Argentinos Juniors back in February 2024.

A decent showing in the FIFA Club World Cup has put Javier Mascherano’s side on the global stage. Players from nations like Brazil and Argentina will have taken notice, potentially seeing Inter Miami as a destination to help take their careers to the next level.

Ultimately, Inter Miami should use Messi as well as it can while he’s still around. Milk him for as much exposure as possible while using his pull to help lure a generation of players who would kill to play with him.